Why Amcu baulks

Comments continue to be made about the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (Amcu) being pig-headed in refusing to sign the “peace deal” brokered by deputy president Kgalema Motlathe. However, the major reason is that the Amcu negotiators are bound by mandates from a quite volatile rank and file that have recently flooded into the union on the promise of democratic, “bottom-up” governance.

One demand was that derogatory statements about Amcu by higher education minister Blade Nzimande, who doubles as general secretary of the Communist Party (SACP), should be condemned. But the only excuse offered was that Nzimande was not speaking as a member of the ANC or as a government minister, but in his SACP capacity.

Amcu officials maintain that this is “splitting hairs” and that government cannot act as an honest broker while its ministers continue to attack their union. The delegation maintained that it was contradictory for the government to try to establish peace in the mining sector on the one hand, while some senior figures continue to “promote violence”.

Another sticking point is the demand, as part of the deal, that an “independent verification process” be established to ascertain the levels of union membership. This, as Amcu sees it, is an attempt to delay recognition of Amcu as a majority union on various mines.

The attempts to clinch a peace deal by Deputy President Kgalema Motlante with the stakeholders in the mining sector were undermined by AMCU. AMCU is reluctant to sign a deal because of the comments made by SACP General Secretary Dr Blade Nzimande, they claim that they have to also seek a mandate from their constituency. the reality of the matter is they cannot be in position to sign the peace deal. They have a good opportunity to prove Blade Nzimande and anyone who think alike wrong by signing the deal failing which Blade Nzimande will be vindicated. They have recruited NUM members using all tricks in the book. They are aware of the fact that the means and ways in which they got membership is unacceptable and as a result they block any measures that seek to expose their tactic. The membership that is recruited through unlawful means (violance, intimidation, threats, harassment and instilling fear and unhappiness at workplace and in the community) cannot be sustainable. The only option for AMCU is to mantain the status qou and the winner in the process is employer as productivity is not tempered with. The division of workers plays in the hands of the employer as they will do as they wish by flouting collective agreements reached at workplace and in the Bargaining Chamber. The refusal by AMCU is not about statement by Nzimande but about its survival.

These tactics are repeated by the SABC in the case of MWASA. Recently SAPA was hounded for daring to attach MWASA commentary on an SABC statement. Apartheid dealt viciously with independent and dessenting voices even when its mistakes, warts and failings were out there for all to marvel at.

I sometimes wonder why (because it is ultimately so self destructive) unions and political parties find it difficult to admit mistakes and to say: “We messed up. Some of our leaders made irresponsible and inflammatory statements and these were wrong. We shall now try to clean up our acts, provide the services and behave in the democratic manner the workers/citizens demand.”

“with the stakeholders” “and unhappiness at workplace and in the community”

What type of trade unionist would use such destructive neo liberal language! In the capitalist system there are workers and bosses, if management truly wished workers to be stakeholders we would have representatives on the board and at every level of the business, and the wage differentials throughout the company would not be so grossly unequal.

Ditto unhappiness in the workplace, the reason for it is not rocket science, now is it and it has nothing to do with AMCU? By the way how much does Cyril take home these days?

Those terms are not from my commentary. However, in our multi-lingual environment I think it is best to make allowance for terminology and certainly always judge actions rather than words. But I agree with your sentiments. And it certainly is worrying when the likes of Julius Malema lay claim to the socialist banner.